Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 3-for-4 with a home run and a season-high five RBIs Wednesday night and the visiting Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Cleveland Guardians 11-0.
Guerrero, who has had a disappointing season at the plate, hit a three-run homer, an RBI double and an RBI single.
Toronto starter Dylan Cease (10-5) allowed four hits and no walks while striking out four over six innings.
Josh Smith added a solo homer for the Blue Jays, who gained a split of the first two games in this three-game series.
Chase DeLauter had three hits for the Guardians (70-69), whose lead over the Blue Jays, Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles (69-71) for the third American League wild-card berth is 1 1/2 games.
Toronto took a 1-0 lead against Joey Cantillo (9-8) in the first. Brett Bateman led off with a first-pitch single to right that eluded second baseman Travis Bazzana. Guerrero laced a one-out double to left center to score Bateman.
The Blue Jays surged to a 6-0 lead in the second. They loaded the bases with one out on singles by Ernie Clement and Andres Gimenez and a walk to Myles Straw. Bateman’s grounder to first resulted in a force out at home. George Springer hit a grounder to shortstop Angel Genao, whose high lob to second soared over Bazzana’s head for a two-run error. Guerrero then clubbed a 1-0 curveball to left for his eighth homer of the season.
Toronto added a run in the third on Straw’s double to left-center after an overturned call on what first was ruled an inning-ending double play.
The Blue Jays tacked on two more in the sixth. Cantillo allowed Straw’s one-out infield hit to Genao and walked Bateman before Carlos Hernandez replaced him. Springer hit an RBI double and Guerrero stroked an RBI single.
Cantillo allowed nine runs (four earned) on nine hits, walked two and struck out six over 5 1/3 innings.
Smith, who entered the game in the seventh to play second base with Clement moving to shortstop, homered against Hernandez to lead off the eighth. Cleveland backup catcher Austin Hedges took the mound later in the inning and got the final two outs of the eighth before allowing Nathan Lukes’ RBI single in the ninth.
